VIDEO: Live, from Cairo – it’s Saturday Night!

Nervous cigarette smoke fills the lounge, wafting through the night’s preparatory chaos. The crinkling of scripts mixes with the hum of crew members ironing costumes and makeup artists adding final touches.

Cast members polish their characters in front of mirrors, perfecting movements. The curtain rises in an hour on the first episode of “Saturday Night Live in Arabic.”

In the shadow of the Pyramids of Giza lies Studio Misr, Egypt’s oldest production house. A large marquee broadcasts the show’s name in lights. The recently renovated studio smells of wet paint from the night’s sets. MORE